Exclusive: Jiří Procházka gives curt reaction to Magomed Ankalaev's win over Aleksandar Rakić
Jiří Procházka recently took part in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's own James Lynch, during which the Czech star shared his thoughts on Magomed Ankalaev's win over over Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308.
Despite the Dagestani outclassing his foe over three rounds, he failed to impress Procházka. In fact, the former UFC light heavyweight champion claimed that Ankalaev didn't fight to finish or dominate Rakić.
Instead, he opined that Ankalaev deliberately did just enough to win on points and nothing else, which drew a straight-to-the-point assessment from Procházka:
"I think he just showed performance, what was necessary for win for points, and that's all."
Check out Procházka's thoughts on Ankalaev vs. Rakić (18:43):
Ankalaev's win over Rakić, while convincing, wasn't the dominant stamp he hoped to make. It even drew criticism from his fellow light heavyweights, but it likely did enough to secure him as the next challenger to Alex Pereira's 205-pound belt, though the UFC has not yet made any official announcement.
The light heavyweight division has experienced renewed intensity from its top competitors in recent times. Fighters are either eager to avenge previous knockout losses to Pereira or, in Ankalaev's case, determined to dethrone 'Poatan' in his first-ever attempt.
Procházka, meanwhile, is currently gearing up for UFC 311 on Jan. 18, where he will face fellow former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill.
Jiří Procházka had a more decisive win over Aleksandar Rakić
UFC 300 saw Jiří Procházka cross swords with Aleksandar Rakić for the first time. The two light heavyweights had a thrilling, back-and-forth scrap, with each man finding moments of success.
Ultimately, though, Procházka's toughness, pressure, and high-octane offense proved too much for the Austrian.
In round two, he scored his victory, TKO'ing a badly hurt Rakić to become the first man to truly finish him via strikes and legitimately finish him, besides a bizarre injury loss to Jan Błachowicz, for the first time since his MMA debut.